Just four days after opening the doors to Swirl, a new self-serve frozen yogurt shop at 111 Cherry St., a combination of the Memorial Day weekend and temperatures reaching almost 90 degrees has ensured an almost steady stream of customers since opening the doors April 26 at 3 p.m.

"It was overwhelming," Yi said. "It was when all the schools let out and we had a mad rush of kids. It was amazing."

Yi and his wife Julie are Norwalk residents who ran S and R cleaners on Main Avenue for about 10 years. Yi said he got the idea for the yogurt shop after noticing a trend in New York City of self-serve shops. After doing some research, he decided it wasn't just a fad and could be a viable business in New Canaan.

It's a pretty simple concept. Customers walk in the door and go up to one of four self-serve machines filled with eight daily flavors such as red velvet, cake batter, original tart, chocolate or vanilla. They grab a cup, fill it with as little or as much as they like, and then visit a buffet table that has toppings such as candies, fruits, nuts, and berries. A scale by the cash register tells them how much it weighs, and they are charged 59 cents an ounce.

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"It really is up to your imagination," Yi said. "People get to come in and customize their own frozen dessert."

Yi added that the store attempts to cater to the health-conscious. Frozen yogurt already is lower in fat and calories than ice cream, but he also offers sorbet, a dairy-free dessert, as well as a strawberry-flavored yogurt that has no sugar.

After getting their dessert, customers can sit in a comfortable sitting area with tables or a spot with smaller tables for children to sit at. He said he picked New Canaan for a location specifically because it reminded him of a place he'd like to raise his own children.

"It really just is a very quaint, quintessential New England town," he said. "We fell in love with it."

Swirl, is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Call them at 203-594-9797, or email the shop at email-info@my-swirl.com.